Beat oscillator



Nov. 19, 1946.

MAL/=2 CIRCUI 1. E. MOUROMTSEFF ETAL BEAT OSCILLATOR Filed July 18, 1941 TNVENTORS ZEMOVEO/WIS'EFF Patented Nov. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES ZAlLZd BEAT OSCILLATOR Ilia E. Mourorntseff, Montclair, and George M.

Dinnick, Bloomfield, N. 3., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 18, 1941, Serial No. 402,958

1 This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Ser. No. 360,367, filed October 9, 1940, for an Ultra-high frequency oscillator Patent No. 2,283,895 granted May 19,

Our invention relates to discharge devices, and especially to ultra-high frequency oscillators.

An object of our invention is to produce an ultra-high frequency oscillator having a high efficiency and a greater power output.

Another object of our invention is to provide an oscillator producing .a powerful and stable beat wave.

A still further object of our invention is to provide an oscillating tube, utilizing a plurality of high frequency circuits within a common envelope.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawing in which:

The figure is a view principally in cross section, of a discharge device embodying ourinvention.

In our copending application SerialNo. 360,367, filed October 9,1940, for Ultra-high frequency oscillator, we have disclosed in Figure two hollow body resonators each formed of a grid enclosing a cathode and a third resonator enclosing an anode.

Our present invention is to utilize different frequencies in the first two hollow body resonators, but to form the third hollow body resonator as a complete operating unit responding to the two frequencies and having an output circuit producing a powerful and stable beat wave from the two frequencies.

It is apparent, of course, that the structure disclosed in Figure 5 of our copending application could be utilized for this purpose by making a connection between the anode and the enclosing hollow body resonator and applying different frequencies to the grid-cathode resonators. In this application, however, we have disclosed in the figure, the hollow body resonator 22 as a unit with the interior portions thereof comprising a hollow pipe ID with closed ends II and i2 acting as collector surfaces for the electrons.

The hollow pipe it! has a side opening I 3, to which is attached an integral or welded pipe M, for the entrance of a cooling fluid to the interior of this hollow pipe Hi. This pipe is preferably longitudinally divided by a plate l5 having a central opening IE to which is attached an inlet pip I! for the cooling fluid. The divided plate I5 has openings 8 at either end for the cooling fluid, such as water, to flow around and out the pipe Ill. The pipe M is welded at l9 to the hollow body resonator 22.

The hollowvbody resonator 22 is substantially symmetrical about the hollow pipe l0, and preferably has an end 23 parallel and slightly spaced fromthe collector face H and another end 24 parallel to and slightly spaced from the other collector face .12. Both ends 23 and 24 are perforated at 25 and 126 for the passage ofelectrons to the collector faces. The. perforated ends 23 and 2d are thin and flexible so that their spacing from the collector faces may be easily adjusted.

Such an adjustmentmay be by a plate 21, Welded to the outer portion of the end.23, and having therethrough adjusting bolts 28,secured. to another plate 29, in turn screwed to the main portion of the hollow body resonator 22. A similar adjustment arrangement 21', 28' and 29' is located at the other end of the tube to adjust the end 24 in relationship to the collector face I2. I We preferably attach to the plate 21, a reentrant insulating portion 10 and 10. This insulating structure is sealed to a metal tube H, welded to a tubular metal casing'lZ. The inner 'end of this tubular metal casing, has a perforated control grid structure 13, spaced in parallel to the perforated openings 25, in the adjacent end 23 of the hollow body resonator. The other outer end of the tubular casing 12, is preferablyclosedby flexible metal sheet 14, whose position can be adjusted by any suitable means as, by the v screw. disclosed;

V The cathode 15 comprises a thin plate of metal, bent to form a flat face parallel with the grid opening 13. This flat face has preferably longitudinal slots extending across th face of the cathode. These slots reduce the cross sectional area of the front face of the cathode, and the increased resistance. causes the slotted portions of the cathode to rise to the desired temperature toproduce electrons from the front face of the cathodes. Other types of cathodes may be used if desired, such as the coated, indirectly heated, resistanc wires, etc.

The ends of the cathode structure are attached to. two rods 16 and H, which extend to the outer end of thetube t2, and on their ends are preferably two metal pieces 18 and 19, spaced from the flexible end plate M, a distance approximating the distance of th cathode [5 from the control grid 13. Spacing of this flexible end plate. i l from these two pieces of metal 16 and i9, is adjusted to producecapacitance therebetween, equivalent to the capacitanc between the control grid I3 and the cathode 15.

The cathode connections 89 and BI are taken positive side is connected to the cathode connection as illustrated at I534. The value of the grid voltage may be in the neighborhood of '100D volts.

The hollow tube I2 has a loop 84, preferably located at a central portion, and this loop has one end passing axially through insulation 85,

and a short pipe 86, andboth of these are connected to form another loo-p 8?. The cathode and control grid on the opposite side of the hollow body resonator 22 are preferably similarly constructed and have corresponding parts designated with prime numbers includingan external loop 81. I

We provide the central portion of the hollow body resonator 22 with a pipe 50 and attached to the inner surface of the hollow body resonator at the edge of this pipe, a conductor forming a loop 52 to enclose electromagnetic lines of force therein, and having its other end passing axially through the pipe and a closed insulation block 53 to form an exterior transmission line.

The hollow body resonator 22 is grounded as indicated at I05. If desired, energy ma be fed back from the hollow body resonator 22 to the grid-cathode resonators as described in our copending application Ser. No. 360,367, filed October 9, 1940, for an ultra-high frequencyoscillator.

We preferably utilize the two exterior loops 81,

'81 to feed slightly different high frequencies into the two grid-cathode hollow body resonators. Any suitable high frequency circuit, diagram matically illustrated on the drawing as U. H. F. #1, may be tuned to a frequency of 700 megacycles per second for example, and feeds this frequency into the resonator I2 by means of a transmission line I having a loop IZI coupled to the loop 87. A second high frequency circuit, diagrammatically illustrated in the drawing as U. H. F. #2 may be tuned to a slightly different frequency such as 690 megacycles per second. Other variations in frequency of the order of 10 cycles may be used to advantage with this arrangement. This energy is applied to the loop 81 of resonator I2 through the transmission line I22 and loop I231. The openings and 25 of the central resonator 22 are adjusted to receive the two frequencies.

The output circuit of the central resonator, namely, the conductor 5| and the eyelet 50 are connected to two transmission lines I24 and I25 in parallel. Transmission line I24 has an effective length equal to half the wave-length of U. H. F. circuit #1 and terminates at the loop I25. Transmission line I25 has an effective length equal to half the wave length of the U. H. F. circuit #2 and terminates in the loop I21. Both loops I26 and I2! are coupled to a circuit resonant to a frequency equal to the difference .of the two original frequencies. It may consist of lump inductance I28 and capacitance I29 as shown or may be of any other suitable 4 type circuit. In the example given, this would be 10 megacycles per second. The two frequencies would produce a powerful beat wave in the output portion I35) of this resonant circuit.

Attention is also directed to the fact that our grid and cathode construction makes a radio frequency voltage between the grid and cathode readily available and in fact, this construction is equivalent to a voltage transformer.

We have designed our grid and enclosed cathode to resonate to a' desired frequency and this frequency is the frequency or approximately the frequency utilized in the main resonator 22. The capacity between the elongated cathode structure of the cathode proper I5, rods I6, 11, metal pieces it, IS and the elongated enclosing grid structure '32 is longitudinally distributed. The capacity between the cathode proper I5 and the grid proper 13 is lumped and is balanced at the other end by lumped capacity between the metal pieces l8, l9 and the adjustable end plate T l. The resonator 12 (and similarly the resonator l2) has a capacity that is symmetrical both in radial and longitudinal directions. The linear rods it, I! extending substantially along the axial portion of the enclosing cylindrical grid structure forms a concentric line cavity resonator. The feed-back of a necessary amount of energ from the main resonator 22, as shown in our copending application Ser. No. 360,367, will cause the resonance of the grid structure I2- at the desired frequency. The specially designed and adjustable resonance of the grid resonator I2 will cause the operation thereof at a minimum loss of energy in the resonator itself. The resonator has a relatively high Q.

Although we have shown and described a specific embodiment of our invention, we donot desire to be limited thereto, as various other modifications of the same may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A discharge device including a hollow body resonator and means physically opposed to each other on-opposit'esides of the resonator for applying two different frequencies to said hollow body resonator.

2. A discharge device including a hollow body resonator the body whereof providesa resonator chamber having openings cammon to the one chamber for the passage of electrons therethrough directly into said chamber at .two different portions thereof, and two current means atdifferent frequencies forpassing electrons through said openings.

3. A discharge device including a hollow body resonator the body whereof provides a resonator chamber having openings common to the one chamber for the passage of electrons therethrough directly into said chamber-at two different portions thereof, cathode means for supplying electrons to and through the openings at one portion, cathode means for supp-lying electronsito and through the opening at the other portion, a circuit means modulating one electron stream, another circuit means modulating the other electron stream, said two circuit means having difierent frequencies.

. 4. A discharge device including .a hollow body resonator and means symmetrically disposed to said resonator for applying two different .frequencies of the order of megacycles tosaid hollow body resonator.

5. A discharge device including a hollow body resonator and means for applying two different frequencies to s'aid'hollow body resonator, said hollow body resonator having an output circuit having two branches, one branch tuned to one of said frequencies, the other branch tuned to the other frequency. v g g 6. A discharge device including a hollow body resonator and means for applying two different frequencies to said hollow body resonator, said hollow body resonator having an output circuit having two branches, one branch tuned to one of said frequencies, the other branch tuned to the other frequency, a circuit coupled to the branches of said'output circuit, said circuit being tuned to the beat frequency of said two frequencies.

7. A discharge device including a hollow body resonator having openings for the passage of electrons therethrough at two different portions of said resonator, cathode means for supplying electrons to the openings at one portion, cathode means for supplying electrons at the other portion, a circuit means modulating one electron stream, another circuit means modulating the other electron stream, said two circuit means having different frequencies, said hollow body resonator having an output circuit having two branches, one branch tuned to one of said frequencies, the other branch tuned to the other frequency.

8. A discharge device including a hollow body resonator having openings for the passage of electrons therethrough at two different portions of said resonator, cathode means for supplying electrons to the openings at one portion, cathode means for supplying electrons at the othe portion, a circuit means modulating one electron stream, another circuit means modulating the other electron stream, said two circuit means havin different frequencies, said hollow body resonator having an output circuit having two branches, one branch tuned to one of said frequencies, the other branch tuned to the other frequency, a circuit coupled to the branches of said output circuit, said circuit being tuned to the beat frequency of said two frequencies.

9. A discharge device including a hollow body resonator the body whereof provides a resonator chamber having openings common to the one chamber for the passage of electrons therethrough directly into said chamber at two different portions thereof, and two current means at different frequencies for passing electrons through said openings, said current means comprising hollow body resonators tuned respectively to said frequencies.

10. A discharge device includin a hollow body resonator the body whereof provides a resonator chamber having openings common to the one chamber for the passage of electrons therethrough directly into said chamber at two different portions thereof, and two current means at different frequencies for passing electrons through said openings, said current means comprising hollow body resonators tuned respectively to said frequencies, and cathode means in each of said last mentioned resonators for producing said electrons.

11. A discharge device including a, hollow body resonator having openings for the passage of electrons therethrough at two different portions of said resonator, and two current means at different frequencies for passing electrons through said openings, said current means comprising hollow body resonators tuned respectively to said frequencies, said first mentioned hollow body reso- 6 natorhaving; an output circuit having two branches, onc -branch tuned to one of saidfrequencies, the other branch tuned to the other frequency.

- 12.1A discharge device including a hollow body resonator having openings for the passage of electrons therethrough at two diiferent portions of said resonator, and two current means at different frequencies for passin electrons through said openings, said current means comprising hollow body resonators tuned respectively to said frequencies, said first mentioned hollow body resonator having an output circuit having two branches, one branch tuned to oneof said frequencies, the other branch tuned to the other frequency, a circuit coupled to the branches of said output circuit, said circuit being tuned to thebeat frequency of said two frequencies. s I

13. In combination, a, main hollow body resonator, a second and a third auxiliary hollow body resonators, means for applying to said second and third hollow body resonators different high frequencies oscillations, each of said second and third hollow body resonators being tuned to the frequency applied thereto, and means for passing electron streams from each of said second and third hollow body resonators to said main hollow body resonator, said electron streams being modulated by said frequencies.

14. In combination, a main hollow body resonator, a second and a third auxiliary hollow body resonators, means for applying to said second and third hollow body resonators different high frequencies oscillations, each of said second and third hollow body resonators being tuned to the frequency applied thereto, and means for passing electron streams from each of said second and third hollow body resonators to said main hollow body resonator, said electron streams being modulated by said frequencies, said hollow body resonator having an output circuit having two branches, one branch tuned to one of said frequencies, the other branch tuned to the other frequency.

15. In combination, a main hollow body resonator, a second and third auxiliary hollow body resonators, means for applying to said second and third hollow body resonators difierent high frequencies oscillations, each of said second and third hollow body resonators being tuned to the frequency applied thereto, and means for passing electron streams from each of said second and third hollow body resonators to said main hollow body resonator,said electron streams being modulated by said frequencies, said hollow body resonator having an output circuit having two branches, one branch tuned to one of said frequencies, the other branch tuned to the other frequency, a circuit coupled to the branches of said output circuit, said output circuit being tuned to the beat frequency of said two frequencies.

16. An ultra high frequency oscillator comprising a first hollow body resonator, a second hollow body resonator, a cathode within said first hollow body resonator, passage means for said electrons from said first hollow body resonator to the second hollow body resonator, said second body resonator receiving said electrons when its field is in opposition to the passage of electrons therein whereby said electrons give up energy to said second hollow body resonator, said cathode being located next one part of the resonator and having metal capacitative means connected symmetrically therewith at an opposite part of the resonator, whereby the capacity between said cathode and said first hollow body resonator is substantiallysymmetrically distributed within said body.

17. An ultra high frequency oscillator comprising a first hollow body resonator, a second hollow body resonator, a cathode within said first hollow body resonator, passage means for said-electrons from said first hollow body resonator to the second. hollow body resonator, said second body resonator receiving said electrons when its field is in opposition to the passage of electrons therein whereby said electrons give up energy to said second hollow body resonator, the cathode within said first hollow body resonator being an elongated structure having opposite ends and providing lumped capacity between said ends and the said enclosing hollow body resonator.

18. The method of producing oscillations in a resonator common to two electron streams which comprises separately producing two electron streams, applying high frequency currents of different frequencies to said streams while separate, thereby modulating each electron stream, and feeding the modulated electron streams to said resonator common to both streams.

19. The method of producing oscillations in a resonator common to two electron streams which comprises producing two electron streams, apply ing high frequency currents of different frequencies to said streams while separate, thereby modulating each electron stream, feeding the modulated electron streams to said resonator common to both streams and producing a beat frequency, and carrying off the beat frequency as the output of produced oscillations.

ILIA E. MOUROMTSEFF. GEORGE M, DINNICK, I 

